Unasuchus Explained

Unasuchus is an extinct genus of Early Cretaceous eusuchian belonging to the family Hylaeochampsidae. The genus is named after Uña, a municipality in central Spain where fossils have been found.^[1]

Discovery and classification

Unasuchus is known only from skull and jaw fragments, meaning that it initially defied precise classification within Crocodyliformes, but the cladistic analysis of Turcosuchus recovers Unasuchus as a derived hylaeochampsid.^{[2] [3]} These remains have been found from the Barremian Las Hoyas Formation.^[4] The type species, U. reginae, was named in 1992.

Notes and References

1. Ortega . F. . Moratalla, J.J. . Buscalioni, A. . Sanz, J.L. . Jiménez, S. . Valbuena, J. . 1996 . Sobre la presencia de un cocodrilo fósil (Crocodylomorpha: Neosuchia: Goniopholis sp.) en la cuenca de Cameros (Cretácico inferior: Vadillos-San Román de Cameros, La Rioja) . Zubía . 14 . 113–120.
2. Martin . J.E. . Delfino, M. . 2010 . Recent advances in the comprehension of the biogeography of Cretaceous European eusuchians . Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology . 293 . 3 . 406–418 . 10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.10.021. 2010PPP...293..406M .
3. Stéphane Jouve . Volkan Sarıgül . J.-Sébastien Steyer . Sevket Sen . 2017 . The first crocodylomorph from the Mesozoic of Turkey (Barremian of Zonguldak) and the dispersal of the eusuchians during the Cretaceous . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 17 . 2 . 111–128 . 10.1080/14772019.2017.1393469 . 90379747 .
4. Book: Sanz, J.L. . Fregenal-Martínez, M.A. . Meléndez, N. . Ortega, F. . 2001 . 3.4.9 Las Hoyas . Palaeobiology II . Briggs, D.E.G. . Crowther, P.R. . Wiley-Blackwell . 356–359 . 9780632051496.